


I Hate You, But I'll Always Love You

by lilisdivine



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, F/M, The Voicemail, and tired, betty cooper still loves jughead jones, betty just wants to support jughead, bughead - Freeform, but also canon compliant, but harsh enough to make betty think he never wants to hear from her again, but not too harsh, but she still loves him, canon adjacent, could this even be considered angst?, in which jughead is kind of harsh, it'll make sense if you paid close attention to their scene in 5x05, jughead jones is not drunk in this universe, jughead jones still loves betty cooper, just really stressed, no romantic intentions behind it, they don't talk but they're hurt so i'll go with yes, thus makes an impulsive decision
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:00:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29846019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilisdivine/pseuds/lilisdivine
Summary: In which we find out what Jughead said in his mysterious voicemail.OR,Jughead decides to call Betty after four years against his better judgement, while he's stressed and low on sleep, and lets out everything he's thinking and feeling.
Relationships: Betty Cooper /Adam Chisholm, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 1
Kudos: 41





	I Hate You, But I'll Always Love You

_ Betty (Monday Evening, 7:00 PM) _

"Stop!" Betty giggled as Adam tickled her on the couch as they watched the news.

"No, I don't think so," he laughed along with her.

Her attention was suddenly drawn to the television when she saw a picture of an all too familiar face appear on screen. "Wait," Betty said, taken aback. She gently pushed his hands off of her.

" _ That's right, folks, _ " the news anchor exclaimed. " _ Critically Acclaimed author Forsythe Jones III will be at a book signing this Friday in Hartford following the release of his most recent novel 'The Outcasts,' which is an homage to S.E. Hinton's 'The Outsiders.' In case you're not up to date... _ "

The rest of what the news anchor had said was tuned out by the blood thumping through Betty's ears. She hadn't heard his name in almost four years, not after everything that happened after graduation. Not after she told him about the biggest mistake she'd ever made, to be exact. Hearing his name and seeing his face on national television, of all places, for the first time after so long felt like after spinning on a merry-go-round for too long. The dizziness would not go away as long as his face was still on screen.

"God... the poor man. That girl must have had him wrapped around her finger," Adam said, reigning Betty back in from her thoughts.

"What?" She let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"I mean, publishing a book about an ex from high school... I feel embarrassed for the guy almost."

"Yeah," Betty tried to chuckle.

"And just freely admitting you're still in love with your ex to the entire world... God, that can't be healthy."

"I don't think he's in love with her. Some people just write about past experiences."

"Yeah, but about someone he broke up with four years ago?"

"I think we should go," Betty said before she could even think about it, let alone stop herself. "To the book signing, I mean." She meant it. With everything in her, she meant it. Not to try and get him back, but just to support him. After all his writing that she supported him through in high school, and him being the entire reason she got into Yale, it almost felt wrong not to show her support for him during such a big milestone.

"What," Adam tried not to laugh.

"Yeah, come on. It would be fun!" He raised an eyebrow at her enthusiasm. So, to convince him some more, she added, "Besides, I have an English assignment due next week where we have to interview an author of some sort. Maybe it'd be cool to interview someone who's new to it, you know?"

"Who's to say he would even let you interview him?"

"I have a feeling he wouldn't have a problem with it. Also, it's worth a shot, am I right?"

"I guess..."

"We don't have classes on Friday anyway because it's a mental health day and the book signing is only half an hour away. And, hey, you don't even have to go to the book signing if you don't want to. There's a Red Sox game on Friday during the book signing, so if you wanted to go..."

"Right, and let some dark haired writer who's also into true crime literature try to sweep you off your feet? I know your type, Cooper," he joked.

She tried to laugh to hide any suspicion.  _ Oh, you have no idea _ , she thought.

* * *

_ Jughead (Early Friday Morning, 3:00 AM) _

Groggily walking through his apartment door after a longer than intended meeting with his editor, Jughead groaned.

What was supposed to be the most exciting week of his life turned out to be the most stressful.

He didn't really know how it happened or how to explain it. He just didn't feel excited. There was no nostalgia about how far he's made it since writing on that little typewriter in his trailer that he got for Christmas that one year. He felt nothing.

He wouldn't call it depression. Maybe it was more that he had higher expectations for how this week was going to go, and none of it was adding up.

He was exhausted but not exhausted enough to sleep, another thing he didn't know how to explain.

He went to the kitchen to pour himself some water, then went to lay on the couch.

Against his better judgement, he got his phone out and dialed a number he never thought he would dial again.

It went straight to voicemail. "Hey, Betty..." He rubbed his eye.

* * *

_ Betty (Friday Morning, 11:00 AM) _

Betty woke up later than she intended to. The book signing was supposed to start at noon, and she only had half an hour to get ready and another half hour to drive there if she was planning on being there on time.

"Shit, Adam!" She tried to shake him awake. "We have to be there in an hour!"

"Be where," he groaned as he stretched and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"The book signing! Come on, get up, get showered. We have to leave soon!" Truth was, the energy was an act to make it seem like she was worried about the non-existent interview for her English class.

"Okay, okay!"

After he hopped in the shower, Betty brushed her teeth and turned her phone on.

To her complete and utter surprise, she saw she had a new voicemail from Jughead.

"That's random," she whispered to herself, but she couldn't help the smile from spreading across her face.

She decided to call him back without listening to the voicemail.

It rang for a little while until he said, " _ Hey, it's Jug... _ "

"Hey, Jug, I'm sorry I-"

" _ Leave a message _ ."

She sighed and then decided that listening to the voicemail would have to do for now. She pressed play.

" _ Hey, Betty... I don't, uh, I don't even know why I'm calling. It's not like either of us has ever made an effort to reach out since after graduation until now I guess... _ " He laughed. " _ It's funny. I always knew I'd end up here one way or another. Publishing a novel, having my biggest supporter by my side. I guess I always pictured that person to be you, but you haven't even said a word to me since you left for New Haven four years ago. Part of me feels like I didn't need you as much as I'd unintentionally convinced myself. But then another part of me still feels like I needed you to be happy, and maybe I was right because for some unknown fucking reason it's been four years and I can't get you out of my head. It's like you've been etched into my brain in permanent ink. It's embarrassing, really. Everyone reminds me of you. Every time someone does something to help me, it reminds me of you because of how much you did for me, especially when you were trying to help prove my dad's innocence at the beginning of our Sophomore year. Every time someone hurts me, it reminds me of the night you told me about you and Archie in your room and then I resent you for it all over again for several days. Don't even get me started on the blonde women in every damn corner. It's driving me insane. You've spectacularly ruined my life, Betty Cooper, and I don't know if I should be thanking or hating you for it. I guess a part of me is just ready to say goodbye already, you know? Let go of all those memories for good so I can finally get over whatever it is I still feel for you. I don't know, maybe it's what we both need. _ "

Betty's heart sank to the pits of her stomach. It's not like she expected him to randomly call her after four years and explain how much he still loved her, but she certainly wasn't expecting... that.

A couple tears rolled down her cheeks, but she quickly wiped them away.

"Hey, Adam," she said, trying hard not to make it sound like she was crying as she walked into the bathroom. "Change of plans. My English professor just emailed us and said she's cancelling the interview project. We don't need to go anymore."

"Are you sure? You seemed pretty excited to get there a few minutes ago."

"Yeah, it's just a stupid book signing anyway," she said wiping another tear off her face with the back of her hand.


End file.
